In this captivating retelling of a classic biblical story, Jesus shocks the town of Bethany with Lazarus’s resurrection from the dead, leading Martha—a seemingly perfect woman trapped by the secrets of her past—to hope and a new life.

Mara is a desperate Samaritan girl struggling to keep her family alive in the face of starvation and the threat of exile from their strict village. When a mysterious Jewish teacher transforms her mother at Jacob’s well, Mara hopes for a better life—until…Order “The Well”

I must admit, the thought of writing a story from the perspective of Mary filled me with fear. The mother of the God, the most important woman in human history — and I had to capture her in 2,000 words or less? A daunting task, and one that I wasn’t sure I could do.